Materials Engineers
Architecture and Engineering
Failure data and laboratory tests are used to find why a product failed and what to change. Typical days mix quality tests on raw materials and finished products with monitoring how those materials deteriorate in use, then adjusting processing methods or applying thermal and mechanical treatments to metal alloys. Technical specifications are weighed against cost when choosing how to fabricate or join materials, and technical staff are guided as they develop materials for particular products. The work suits people who like close reading of test results, methodical problem-solving, and explaining findings in writing and in conversation.
Typical education: Bachelor’s Degree (4-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$112'860
Median Wage Market Position
$112'860
What you might do
- Test raw materials and finished products for quality
- Figure out why products failed in testing
- Track how materials hold up and wear down
- Decide how to form and join different materials
- Change alloy properties with heat and pressure
- Guide staff creating materials for a new product
Skills that matter
- Diagnosing why products and materials fail
- Directing tests of processing procedures
- Monitoring material wear and deterioration
- Modifying alloys with heat and mechanical treatments
- Guiding staff on materials for new products
- Weighing technical specs against cost
AI & the future of this role
Literature search, property modeling, and screening studies are tasks AI might accelerate. Lab testing, failure analysis, and choosing materials under real performance and manufacturing constraints still lean on hands-on expertise and judgment.
Does Materials Engineers fit your values?
Take the free LostInCareer assessment to see personalized matches based on your core values—not just a personality label.
Related careers
Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details